Presiding judge tells Lynnwood council the court is overwhelmed by filings and will proactively vacate 'Blake' convictions

Presiding Judge Valerie Boffoud Morrell told the Lynnwood City Council on March 18 that the municipal court is handling unusually high caseloads and pressing ahead with a city-led effort to vacate convictions affected by the Washington Supreme Court's State v. Blake decision.

Morrell said the court recorded 58,128 case filings in 2025, held 22,987 hearings and processed about $6,328,762 in monetary intake. She emphasized the municipal court’s jurisdiction is limited to misdemeanors, gross misdemeanors and infractions, but noted county charging decisions have pushed some higher-level matters into the municipal docket, increasing local workload.

“We do handle misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor cases … and when the county’s charging standards change, cases that used to be felonies can come to our court,” Morrell said. She told council members the court employs 17 people, funds 10 clerk positions and currently has three clerk vacancies, creating staffing pressures as filings grow.

The judge described two operational priorities: (1) a recently finished remodel that quadrupled physical…